Method and apparatus for forming bails



Apnl 29, 1969 NEROD METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING BAILS Sheet of 4 Filed July 12. 1967 INVENTOR. m V/A/6 A/f'RQD BY ATTORNEY April 29, 1969 NEROD 3,441,065

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING BAILS Filed July 12, 1967 Sheet 2 of 4 Y 50- 5/ 45 46 nr V Q i @1 4 i H i BY W011 ATTORNEY Sheet of 4 l. NEROD METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING BAILS INVENTOR. w/v6 11/5900 1% ATTORNEY F IG 5 F m w April 29, 1969 Filed July 12, 1967 Sheet 4 April 29, 1969 l. NEROD.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMI G BAILS Filed July 12, 1967 ATTORNEY 2% T. \\R\/\A\ 0 w w 2 R m y a W wxxfi m H M w ay M x xfim M M 2 G 9 {I G 4 v 6 V. w m F 0 m R V F F 0 v 7 8 m w w w w w 25 MW it? n h 2- a 9 m 8. 51 MW F F United States Patent ()fice 3,441,065 Patented Apr. 29, 1969 3 441,065 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING BAILS Irving Nerod, Wayne, N.J., assignor to American Can Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed July 12, 1967, Ser. No. 652,752 Int. Cl. 1321f 1/06, 5/00, 41/00 U.S. Cl. 140-75 21 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Background of the invention This invention relates to a method and apparatus for trimming and forming the end sections of generally U-shaped carrying bails for use with containers.

Carrying bails made of heavy wire are used extensively to provide the means for carrying large cans filled with heavy products such as paint or the like. Many of the known bails are either formed and inserted into the bail ears of the cans by automatic machines which are too expensive to justify their use in slow-speed can-filling lines, or are preformed and later attached to the cans in a manual operation. In the latter event, the preformed bails have their ends bent into a complicated, multiplebend, hook formation which requires that they be inserted into the bail ears of the can in a complicated twisting operation which is tedious to the inserter and is slow and time-consuming.

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for reshaping bail end sections into flat, generally triangular barbs whereby the bail thus formed may be easily and inexpensively applied and affixed to a container. The barbed end sections permit the bail to be forced into the bail ears of a container by a simple pressure operation. Each such bail can be applied to the' container either completely manually, completely automatically, or by a combined manual-automatic operation. It is to be noted that this latter-mentioned manual-automatic operation, wherein the barbed ends of the' bail are preliminarily positioned in the bail cars by a manual operation and subsequently pressed into finally seated position in the bail ears by a simple, inexpensive machine, is particularly practical for the paint manufacturer because it makes minimal demands on the operator and yet permits canfilling lines to run at moderate speeds with minimal labor requirements and without the substantial capital invenment necessitated by a completely automatic bail-forming and inserting machine.

Summary of the invention A substantially U-shaped bail, which has its opposing ends bent toward each other into inwardly extending hooks, is advanced in a direction generally perpendicular to the general plane of the bail along a support horn to a trimming station. At the trimming station, any excess length on the bail ends is trimmed off by shearing tools. The ball is then advanced further along the horn to a forming station where forming tools operate to flatten and shape the trimmed end portions of the bail to form them into barbs. Thereafter, the bail is further advanced to a discharge station where it is fed from the horn.

Brief description of the drawing FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary view, in perspective, of a portion of an apparatus embodying the invention, the View illustrating the various operations performed on a bail as it is advanced downwardly through the trimming and forming stations, some of the parts being broken away and some not being shown for the sake of clarity of illustration.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view and more complete showing of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURES 3, 4 and 5 are sectional views taken substantially along the lines 3-3, 44, and 55, of FIG- URE 2, respectively.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 66 of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken substantially along the line 77 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the trimming and forming stations, as shown in FIG- URE 2, but on a larger scale.

FIGURES 9 and 10 are sectional views taken substantially along the lines 99 and 10-10 of FIGURE 8 showing the trimming and forming tools respectively.

FIGURE 11 is a sectional view of the forming tools taken substantially along the line 1111 of FIGURE 10.

FIGURE 12 is an exploded view of the forming tool shown in FIGURE 11.

Description of the preferred embodiment As a preferred and exemplary embodiment of the instant invention, the drawings illustrate an apparatus which is adapted to form bails on the opposed ends of U-shaped carrying bails B which are made of a heavy, round, steel wire and are adapted to be used in conjunction with sheet metal cans (not shown) to provide convenient packages for carrying heavy products such as paint. The apparatus of the present invention is adapted to receive substantially U-shaped or semi-circular bails B having opposed hooked ends and to form a flat, triangular barb on each of the hooked ends. Thus, the uppermost bail B1 in FIG- URE 1 shows the bail as supplied to the apparatus of the present invention, B2 and B4 show intermediate steps in forming the barbs, and B6 shows the finished bail with barbs 20. It will be seen that the bail B1 has a central handle portion 22 and short outwardly offset portions 24 adjacent the ends of the bail. The end of each offset portion 24 is bent inwardly at right angles to form an inwardly extending hook 26.

The means for forming the uppermost bail B1 as shown in FIGURE 1 is not, per se, a part of this invention and may comprise a conventional bail-forming apparatus of a type well known by those skilled in the art. Such conventional bail-forming apparatus is preferably arranged to operate in conjunction with the apparatus of the present invention and is positioned adjacent the illustrated apparatus so that after each bail B is formed to the configuration indicated by Bl, it is located at the top end of the feedway of the apparatus.

As best shown in FIGURE 1, the U-shaped bails B are fed along and straddle an elongated feedway or support horn 32. The horn 32 has an outer configuration corresponding to the curvature of the handle portion 22 of the bail and also has a longitudinal channel 34 which receives a projecting spline 36 of a support plate 30 which extends for only a portion of the full length of the horn 32.

The bails B are fed along the horn 32 in a progression of feed strokes of uniform length by three reciprocal feed bars 37, 38, 39 which are mounted for slidable movement in longitudinal slideways 40 formed in the horn 32, and are held in pressured contact with the horn 32 by pressure devices which include three elongated pressure bars 43, 44, 45 which are spaced around the horn 32 outwardly of the feed bars 37, 38, 39 and suitably secured (e.g. by machine screws 46, FIGURE 2) to semi-circular support rings 48 and 50 which partially encircle but which are spaced from the horn 32. The upper ring 48 has a semicircular extension 52 suitably secured to a suitable support structure as for example, to the frame (not shown) of the aforementioned conventional bail-forming apparatus, or to the base of the press section of the instant apparatus. The lower support ring 50 is carried by the pressure bars 43, 44, 45. Additional rings (not shown) may be provided for the pressure bars 43, 44, 45 at the upper portion of the horn 32 which is cut away in FIGURE 2.

Each pressure bar 43, 44, 45 carries a plurality of pressure blocks 60 which have a length substantially equal to the length of the feed strokes of the feed bars 37, 38, 39 and which are biased into contact with the horn 32. To this end, each pressure bar 43, 44, 45 is formed with a plurality of holes 62, in each of which the smooth shank of a bolt 64 is slidably carried, each bolt 64 in turn being secured to a pressure block 60 by the threaded engagement indicated at 66 (FIGURE 7). The bolts 64 carry coil springs 68 which are accommodated, in part, in enlarged blind bores 65 formed in the pressure bars 43, 44, 45, the the arrangement being such that two springs 68 normally engage and press each pressure block 60 against the horn 32. With this arrangement, it will be apparent that the pressure blocks 60 are forced away from the horn 32 against the bias of springs 68 as the bails B are fed along the horn 32 by the feed bars 37, 38, 39 a step at a time a distance approximately equal to the longitudinal length of each pressure block 60. Each pressure block 60 has a chamfer 70 formed at its upper, inner end to define a pocket 71 which receives the bail during the dwell period between each feed stroke.

Each of the aforementioned reciprocal feed bars 37, 38, 39 for feeding the bails along the horn 32 pivotally mounts a plurality of feed fingers 72 (FIGURE 7) which are adapted to project outwardly of the born 32 to engage and feed the bails. Thus, it will be seen in FIGURE 7 that each finger 72 is pivotally mounted in a recess 73 in the feed bar 38 on a pivot pin 74. A spring 76 biases the finger 72 to the projecting position shown in FIGURE 7 wherein the end of the finger 72 projects beyond the horn 32 where it is adapted to engage the bails B. A longitudinal channel 78 is provided in each pressure block 60 to accommodate the finger 72 when the latter is in its projecting position. A stop is provided to limit the maximum outward pivotal position of the finger 72. As seen in FIGURE 7, the stop comprises a projection 80 on the finger 72 which engages an overhang 81 on the feed bar 38.

The three feed bars 37, 38, 39 are connected at their upper ends to a common link 82 (FIGURE 2) which is reciprocated by a conventional means, for example, by a reciprocating rod 79 which has two flanges 83 which engage the end of the link 82 to vertically reciprocate the latter. The rod 79 is reciprocated by any suitable drive means (not shown). Thus, the three feed bars 37, 38, 39 are reciprocated in unison. When the feed bars 37, 38, 39 are moved downwardly, each group of three projecting fingers 72 at a particular elevation engages a bail B and moves it downwardly along the born 32. Since, as previously described, the pressure blocks 60 are spring biased against the horn 32, the bails B are forced against the chamfered pocket walls 70 and thence between the horn 32 and the pressure blocks 60, thereby forcing the latter outwardly away from the horn 32 against the pressure of the springs 68. The feed fingers 72 on each feed stroke move the bails B downwardly from the pockets 71 of one group of pressure blocks 60 to the pockets 71 of the next lowermost group of blocks 60 (e.g. from the position indicated at B-l to that of B-2 in FIGURE 1). As each bail reaches its new advanced position, the pressure blocks 60 are returned to their original position in contact with the horn 32 by the springs 68. The feed bars 37, 38, 39 are then raised on their return stroke to their original positions, but the bails B are held in their new advance positions by gravity. As the feed bars 37, 38, 39 travel upwardly, the projecting ends of the fingers 72 move through the channels 78 of the pressure blocks 60 until the upper projecting surface of each finger 72 engages the next higher bail B, whereupon the latter forces the finger 72 to pivot inwardly into the recess 73 (FIGURE 7) against the bias of spring 76, the bail B being restrained against upward movement by the bottom, unchamfered inner ends of the pressure blocks 60.

Upon further upward travel of the feed bars 37, 38, 39, the fingers 72 are carried above the bails B and the springs 76 again urge the fingers 72 outwardly to the projecting position above the bails B, as shown in FIGURE 7. In this latter position, the parts are ready to start another feeding cycle whereby at each downward stroke of the feed bars 37, 38, 39, each bail is advanced one step, and upon the return upward stroke of the feed bars, each bail remains in its newly advanced position.

The bails are advanced in a step-like manner, as aforedescribed, to a trimming station, indicated generally at 84, and thence to a forming or swaging station, indicated generally at 86. Associated with these two stations is a reciprocating means or press 87 having a frame 89 mounted on and bolted to a fixed base 91. The press 87 reciprocates a holder plate 88 which carries a pair of horizontally spaced shearing blades 90 and a pair of horizontally spaced forming or swaging elements indicated generally by 92 (see FIG. 5). The shearing blades 90 and forming elements 92 are adapted to cooperate with tools mounted in the support plate 30 previously mentioned, to form the barbs 20 as will be described in detail.

At the elevation of the trimming station 84, the support plate 30 is cut away to receive a pair of hardened shearing die inserts 94, the latter being suitably secured to the support plate 30 by machine screws or the like. Each insert 94 is formed with a vertical dentation 96 which underlies the end of the bail hook 26, the indentation 96 leading to a scrap chute 98 (FIGURE 1) into which the trimmed-off ends of the hooks 26 fall to any suitable place of deposit. Thus, it will be seen that as the shearing blades 90 are advanced toward the die inserts 94 and the shearing edges of the shearing blades 90 pass partially into the indentations 96 (FIGURE 9), the overhanging ends of the hooks 26 will be sheared off and the scrap pieces will fall by gravity through the indentations 96 and into the underlying chutes 98 for discharge. As best shown in FIGURE 9, the shearing blades 90 are mounted on retainer pieces 100, the later in turn being mounted on the holder plate 88 previously described.

In order to align the bails in proper position at the trimming station 84, guide means are fixed to the holder plate 88 adjacent each of the shearing blades 90, said guide means being operable, upon advancement of the holder plate 88, to engage and align the ends of the bail in a predetermined position within the trimming station 84 before the hooks are trimmed. Each guide means comprises a forwardly projecting bail guide 102 mounted on the holder plate 88 and arranged to pass beyond the outside edge of the cooperating die insert 94 and in advance of the leading face of the shearing blade 90 (see FIGURE 9). Each bail guide 102 has a guide channel 104 which is provided with a lead-in channel section having converging walls indicated at 106, 107 and 108 in FIGURES 8 and 9.

As the holder plate 88 is advanced toward the support plate 30, the converging walls 106, 107, and 108 of the lead-in section are operable to engage the bail B and guide it into the guide channel 104 for positioning of the bail hook 26 in proper position for trimming by the shearing blade 90. With this arrangement, it will be apparent that even if a bail hook 26 is for some reason not exactly aligned after it has been advanced to the trimming station 84, the guide means will operate to put it into proper alignment for the trimming operation.

With this arrangement, all of the bail hooks 26 leaving the trimming station 84 will have the same length as determined by the distance between the outer edge of the indentation 96 and the outer wall surface of the insert 94. It will be understood that both shearing blades 90 are carried by the holder plate 88 so that both ends of the same bail are simultaneously trimmed with each stroke of the holder plate 88. The hooks 26 of each bail B are preferably initially formed so that they are slightly overlong, so that a positive trimming action on each hook is effected at the trimming station. In this manner, the possibility of having a short hook is effectively minimized.

After the bail hooks 26 have been trimmed and the holder plate 88 has been withdrawn, each bail is advanced to the next lower position, as previously described. This moves the bail B which has just been trimmed from the trimming station 84 to the forming station 86, where forming or swaging tools are operable to form a fiat barb 20 (FIGURE 1) on the end of each of the trimmed hooks 26.

As shown in FIGURES to 12, the forming tools include a pair of retainer pieces 110 which are secured to opposite sides of the holder plate 88 by means of bolts 111. Each retainer piece 110 has an internal longitudinal recess 112 in which a punch holder 114 is mounted for reciprocal movement on a pair of bolts 116 which are slidably mounted in openings 118 formed in the base of the recess 112 and threadably engage the punch holder 114 as indicated at 1'20. The head of each bolt 116 is carried in a bore 122 formed in the retainer piece 110, and a coil spring 124 on the shank of the bolt 116 normally biases the punch holder 114 to an extended position. A forming punch 126 is mounted for sliding movement in aligned slideways 125 and 127 formed in the retainer piece 110 and punch holder 114, respectively. As best shown in FIGURE 12, the forming punch 126 has an end portion 128 having a cross-sectional configuration consisting of a triangular portion 129 and a stem section 131, and the slideway 127 has a corresponding configuration.

The forming punch 126 is also provided with a barrel 130 which is slidable in the slideway 125, and with lateral extensions 132 which are located within a slot 134 formed in the retainer piece 110'. The forming punch 126 also has an integral end plug 136 which is adapted to receive a bolt 137 which securely affixes the forming punch 126 to the holder plate 88.

From the above description it will be seen that the retainer piece 110 and ihe forming punch 126 are fixed to the holder plate 88 and movable as a unit therewith. On the other hand, the punch holder 114 is yieldably mounted under spring pressure and is movable relative to the retainer piece 110 and forming punch 126.

Included on each punch holder 114 is a guide means which positions the trimmed bail hook 26 to insure that it is in the proper position in the forming station. This guide means is similar to the guide means used at the trimming station 84, and comprises a forwardly projecting element 138 formed integral with the punch holder 114 and having three converging lead-in walls 141, 142, and 143 leading to a guide channel 144, the latter having a depth and width corresponding to, or just slightly larger than the diameter of the bail wire. The guide element 138 extends laterally of the side of an anvil insert 146 which is mounted in the support plate 30 and is adapted to engage and properly position the bail in the guide channel 144 as the holder plate 88 is advanced toward the support plate 30. The channel 144 is, in turn, aligned with the slideway 127 of the punch holder 114 so that the trimmed bail hook 26 is disposed in alignment with the slideway 127 upon advancement of the holder plate 88.

As the holder plate 88 is advanced and the bail hooks 26 are guided into position as aforesaid, the books 26 enter the slideways 127 and the leading surface of the punch holders 114 move past the hooks 26 and contact the anvil inserts 146. As the holder plate 88 continues to advance, the punch holders 114 move into the retainer pieces against the bias of the coil springs 124 while at the same time, the forming punches 126 continue to advance within the slideways 127. The leading faces of the forming punches 126 thus engage the ends of the hooks 26 and swage the metal thereof against the anvil inserts 146, and the flattened metal is forced laterally into contact with the walls of the slideways 127 and formed into fiat barbs 20 having the generally triangular configuration of the slideway 127. The punch holder 114 remains in its position (FIGURE 10) in contact with the anvil insert 146 under the pressure of compressed springs 124 as the barb 20 is formed. The face of each anvil insert 146 is formed with a step 147, while the leading face of the forming punch stem section 128 also has a step 149, the two steps 147 and 149 serving to provide a gradual transition in thickness (best seen in FIGURE 10) in the finished bail between the fiat barb 20 and the adjacent unfiattened round portion of the bail hook 26. FIGURES 10 and 11 show the position of the various parts immediately after the barb 20 has been formed but before the die parts have started to return to their retracted positions.

After the barbs 20 have been thus formed, the holder plate 88 is withdrawn and the finished bail is advanced down the horn, step-wise, for discharge at the bottom of the horn.

The holder plate 88 is reciprocated by the press 87, previously mentioned, as shown in FIGURE 2. The press 87 may be conventional and may comprise, for example, a crankshaft 148 suitably mounted on bearings 150 on the press frame 89 and driven from a motor (not shown) by suitable means (not shown) through a drive gear 152. The crankshaft 148 reciprocates a crankrod 154. The crankrod 154, in turn, is connected to a slide bearing 158 which, in turn, is aflixed to the aforementioned holder plate 88.

The holder plate 88 is formed with a pair of slideways 162 in which guide shafts 164 are slideably mounted, the latter, in turn, having their opposite ends supported and mounted in the support plate 30. It will be apparent that the aforedescribed drive means are operable to reciprocate the holder plate 88 back and forth. The drive means for the holder plate 88 are synchronized with the drive means for the feed bars 37, 38, 39, previously described, so that the trimming and forming tools are operable only after the bails have been advanced into new positions by the bail feed mechanism. Adjustable stops 176 and 178 may be provided on the holder plate 88 and support plate 30 respectively, to accurately limit the extreme forward position of the holder plate 88 and the parts carried by it.

The support plate 30 is mounted on the press frame 89 whereby both may be retracted laterally as a unit, relative to the horn 32, to facilitate repairs, maintenance, and other services to them. To this end, the press frame 89 is formed with two spaced forwardly projecting arms 166 and 168 (FIGURE 2) to which the longitudinal ends of the support plate 30 are fixed by machine screws 170, the latter having heads countersunk into upper and lower flange sections on the support plate 30. In this regard, it will be observed (FIGURE 2) that the support plate 30 is shorter than the horn 32 and that extension guides 172 and 174 may be provided above and below the support plate 30 respectively to guide the hook portions of the bails B as the latter are advanced along the horn 32 above and below the support plate 30 and until they are discharged from the horn. The horn 32 is not secured to the press frame 89 but is mounted at its lower end on a support pin which is carried by the fixed base 91. At its upper end, the

horn 32 may be secured to another support pin 182 mounted on a support member 184 which, in turn, may be carried by the fixed base 91 or be part of the aforementioned conventional bail-forming apparatus. With this arrangement, the press frame 89 may be unbolted from the base 91 and slide backwardly out of its normal operative position shown in the drawings thus moving the support plate 30 to a position free and clear of the horn 32, in which position maintenance, repairs, and services may be readily effected to the cutting tools 90, forming die elements 92, and the press 87. Alternatively, a manually operable feed screw may be provided to effect positioning of the press frame 89 relative to the fixed base 91.

From the above description, it will be seen that a finished bail is produced with each cycle of operation, that is, with each step-wise advancement of the bail and each reciprocal movement of the holder plate 8. Accordingly, the apparatus is operable to continuously and automatically produce bails at relatively high rates of speed.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction, and arrangement of parts of the apparatus mentioned herein and in the steps and their order of accomplishment of the method described herein, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the apparatus and method hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for forming flattened barbs on the end sections of generally U-shaped bails comprising:

an elongated support means on which said bails are carried;

means for advancing said bails longitudinally on said support means to a plurality of stations;

means at one station for trimming excess length off of the ends of said bails; and

swaging means at another station to form flattened end sections on said bails.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said swaging means comprises:

die elements having a die part defining a section of a cavity; and

a punch element reciprocal relative to said die part operable to apply a compressive force on said bail end section to flatten the latter within the confines of said cavity.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said swaging means comprises:

means for reciprocating said die elements relative to anvil means;

said anvil means being disposed to cooperate with said die elements to define a section of said cavity in which said flattened end sections are formed.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said trimming means comprises:

a reciprocal mounting means which carries a cutting tool; and

a trimming die having a depression adapted to receive the leading end of said cutting tool as the latter trims off the end of the bails at said trimming station.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 further comprising:

discharge chutes below said cutting tool adapted to receive said trimmed-off bail ends.

6. Apparatus according to claim 4 further comprising:

guide means carried by said reciprocal mounting means and adapted to position each bail in a predetermined position on said anvil means.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said trimming means and forming means comprise:

a press having a frame structure on which a reciprocal means mounting trimming tools and forming die elements is carried; and

means for sliding said frame structure toward and away from said bail support means to facilitate access to the press.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7 wherein:

said bail support means is defined by an elongated horn and a support plate;

said support plate being affixed to the frame structure of said press whereby the support plate is slidable as a unit with the press towards and away from said horn.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein:

said support plate carries elongated guide rods;

said reciprocal mounting means having guide bearings receiving said guide rods to effect a sliding support for said reciprocal mounting means.

10. In an apparatus for forming barbs on the end sections of U-shaped bails or the like, comprising:

anvil means;

die elements reciprocal relative to said anvil means;

said die elements comprising a punch holder having a longitudinal passage and adaptable to be reciprocated to an operable position abutting said anvil means whereby an end section of said passage and said anvil means define a cavity; and

a punch element slidable in said passage to flatten said bail end section within the confines of said cavity.

11. In an apparatus according to claim 10 wherein:

said die elements further comprise reciprocal mounting means in which said punch holder is slideably mounted and to which said punch element is fixed.

12. In an apparatus according to claim 11 further comprising means normally biasing said punch holder in an extended position toward said anvil means, said biasing means maintaining said punch holder in an abutting relationship against said anvil means as said flattened end sections are formed.

13. In an apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said longitudinal passage of said punch holder and said punch element have substantially similar cross-sectional configurations, each being defined by a generally triangular portion joined to a stem section having generally parallel sides.

14. In an apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the leading face of the triangular portion of said punch element is flat and defines a plane generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the punch element.

15. In an apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the leading face of said triangular portion is disposed forward of said stem section and a transitional step is provided on the leading face of the punch element between said triangular portion and said stern section.

16. In an apparatus according to claim 15 wherein said anvil means has a front face, a section of which is adaptable to define a portion of said cavity, said cavity defining portion of the anvil means having a step generally aligned with said transitional step in the leading face of the punch element.

17. In an apparatus according to claim 10 further comprising guide means carried by said punch holder adapted to position an end of said bail on said anvil means in a position aligned with the punch element.

18. In an apparatus according to claim 17 wherein said guide means is adaptable to engage the bail before the punch holder reaches its abutting position against the anvil means thereby to position the bail within said longitudinal passage in said punch holder.

19. A method of forming barbs on the hooked end sections of generally U-shaped bails comprising the steps of:

advancing said bails in a direction generally perpendicular to the general plane of each bail to a trimming station;

trimming excess length off the hooked ends of said bails at said trimming station;

advancing said trimmed bails to a forming station; and

applying a compressible force against the end sections of said bails at said forming station to form them into flattened barbs of expanded width.

20. The method according to claim 19 wherein:

each of said bails has its opposed end bent toward each other into inwardly extending hooks;

said compressive force being applied to said hooks along an axis generally parallel to the general plane of said U-shaped bails.

21. The method according to claim 19 further comprising:

confining the extent of flow of the metal of the fiattened end sections of the bail ends by means of contoured 10 die elements thereby to control the configuration of the flattened end sections.

References Cited 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS 371,463 10/ 1887 Knapp 14075 1,992,192 4/1935 Holloway 140-93 CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner. m L. AQ LARSON, Assistant Examiner. 

